“Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Luke 13:15-16 ESV In this story, a woman who had suffered for eighteen years finds herself in a crowd near to Jesus. We are told very little about her, except that she couldn’t fully stand up straight because she was bent over from a disabling condition. Jesus sees…
“My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning” Psalms 130:6 KJV We often associate night with trials, and darkness with struggle and rough seasons of life. I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not enjoy harsh seasons, but rather I see them as something I need to suffer through and claw my way out of, barely surviving. The above scripture in the New Living Translation says this “I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.” A sentry is a soldier who stands guard all night to watch for enemy attacks, fires, unauthorized people, etc. They are members of the first line of defense, and their main goal is to signal to the people they are protecting that danger isn’t too far off. I imagine a soldier, standing at the ready with drowsy eyelids, forcing himself to stay awake. The people’s very survival depended on this man watching the horizon all night. I would be terrible at night shifts, so I can only imagine how hard of a job this would…
FOCUS VERSE “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” (Psalm 145:4, KJV) LOOKING BACKWARD Most people can only remember the previous two generations of their family lineage: their parents and grandparents. Some people might remember their great-grandparents. Unless people record their family history in some way, it is lost to time as descendants create their own history. Genealogists dig into the past, searching for their roots. Archaeologists study ancient cultures looking for insight into forgotten ways of life. Why are some people so interested in the past? The reason is that history provides context for our individual lives. The past is a link to the present. BUILT UPON THE PAST To some degree or another, who we are today is the result of who our ancestors were yesterday. We are composites of former generations. Our lives are built upon the history of our predecessors. Even if we never met them, their values, morals, occupations, and choices of where to live affect us. Many generations ago, my family traveled toward the western part of the United States to make a new life for themselves. According to family lore, one of the young girls fell…
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 ESV The word “world” in the above scripture means “period of time, age.” The age that we live in is riddled with those who are struggling to win the war in their minds. Our thoughts hold us captive, and freedom seems to elude us. We are warned to not conform (to become similar, to comply, to agree) to this world, and then we…
“And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 ESV We have all experienced a season in our lives that has required patience. I can think back to many such seasons with less than fond memories because to be completely honest, I hate waiting. I am the girl who gets frustrated when someone takes a turn too slowly, so you can imagine how I handle seasons of waiting. But like you, I have dealt with my fair share of waiting periods in my walk with God. As I read through Romans 8 in The Message translation, “to wait” took on a new meaning for me, and I began to understand it a little bit more. Verses 22-25 say this “All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more…
“But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.” Genesis 45:5-7 I have always been fascinated by the story of Joseph. Things started great for him in life, but quickly took a turn for the worst. How awful it must have been, and how betrayed he must have felt to be sold as a slave by his brothers. The very ones who should have had his back and loved him the most became those who would hurt him the most. He endured countless hardships, from false accusations to years in a jail cell. He was forgotten, betrayed, and lied about. He is finally reunited with his brothers (who were unaware of who he was at first) and could have exacted his revenge on them by turning them away and sealing their fate to die of starvation. Instead,…